1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for food production and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for making fried, bowl- or other scoop-shaped snack food chips.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, there are a number of food products which are shaped to help the product satisfy a particular function. For example, taco shells often are made by frying corn dough in a folded-over configuration to provide a U-shaped "trough" which is filled with the taco ingredients. With respect to snack food products, consumers often prefer a bowl- or scoop-shaped chip (corn chip, tortilla chip, potato chip, etc.) when eating chips with dip (salsa, bean dip, cheese dip, etc.) because the bowl- or scoop-shaped configuration gives the chip strength--thereby preventing breakage of the chip while scooping dip--and allows the consumer to scoop up a larger, more satisfying portion of dip.
In the past, the methods and apparatus used to make such shaped products have been somewhat complex. In particular, they have tended to use closed molds in which the product is fixedly held while being cooked. Such configurations, although successful in the sense that they perform the desired function, are difficult to manufacture and prone to breakdown. Accordingly, there has been a need for a method and apparatus to make shaped fried food products (bowl-shaped snack food chips in particular) that is less complex and easier to operate than has been the case in the past.